Perspective Podcast - February 18th, 2011

In this edition of Perspective...

American Kidnapped in Japan.

There are several ways for a father to lose a child, all excruciating.  But, the dads you are about to meet are suffering a special kind of frustration.  One day they have beautiful sons or daughters and the next day the child is gone, spirited across the globe with no way to make contact.  What follows is a trip into a diplomatic black hole where all that stands in the way of a reunion is the government of one of America's closest allies.  ABC's Abbie Boudreau traveled to Japan to investigate.  

Getting the Salt Out.  

The average American consumes over 3,400 milligrams of sodium a day.  That is about 2,000 more than the USDA guidelines recommend for most of us.  It turns out that many of the foods that we thought were fine may have too much salt, including some of our favorite snacks.  But does losing the salt mean losing the taste?  And are we really doomed to cardboard crackers?  ABC's Vicki Mabrey traveled to Kraft Foods to find out.  

Fat Freezing. 

It is a story about butter and weight-loss, but not in the way you might think.  We will introduce you to a scientist who observed the way that delicious dairy product firms when chilled.  From there he made a logical leap that could have huge implications for dieters everywhere, because it involves removing your love-handles by freezing them.  ABC's Claire Shipman has the details.  

Ex-Dictator's Club.

With the threat of prosecution, destitution, and even execution, what is a deposed dictator to do?  In Egypt, the man many considered to be the last pharaoh joined a very exclusive group of loathed men. We consulted history, experts, and even one humorist to mull Hosni Mubarak's options.  ABC's Bill Weir has the details. 

Netflix Makeover.

"Adapt or die" is a law of the wild that applies to business too.  But, few corporations have been as successful at adjusting on the fly as Netflix.  It is a company that has surfed the crest of the home movie distribution industry since it first started mailing out those flat red envelopes in 1997.  But, now they may be facing their biggest challenge yet.  ABC's John Donvan explains.  

Playlist:  Martina McBride.

Even the slowest pickup truck in Sharon, Kansas, can drive through that town in about 30 seconds.  But, it was big enough to hold a shop that sold records and a young resident named Martina McBride.  That combination puts country music very much in debt to the small town.  Before she grew up to sell 16 million albums of her own, the heartbreaking soprano spent a lot of time singing along to records from that shop.  Just last weekend she had a chance to honor one of her musical influences, Aretha Franklin, at the Grammy Awards.  Here she is discussing some of her personal favorites in her own words.  

Host: Aaron Katersky

Producer: Jason Wesalo

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